Paper-clip.



No. 803,585. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

J. B. HALE.

PAPER GLIP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17. 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RING PAPER CLIP RATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

COMPANY, A CORPO- PAPER-CLIP..

To all whom it TIMI/Z] concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSHUA B. HALE, a resident of the city ofProvidence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Clips; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention has for its object to provideanovel, simple, andeffective spring-clip made of a single piece of suitable spring-wire,and one that may be very readily applied in securing together papers andsimilar articles. An essential feature of this device is its particularconstruction which enables it to be manufactured by a rotary process,thereby greatly increasing the speed of production and at the same timematerially reducing the cost of the product.

A further object of the invention is to so form the clip that it willhave an extra orincreased tendency to grip and hold the papers or thelike from working loose or slipping from its grasp. This importantfeature is accomplished by simply knurling or corrugating the wire onthe surfaces that engage the package. This clip has a very neat andattractive appearance, particularly when in position on the papers, andon account of its construction it looks the same on both the front andback of the package. It is so formed as to remove all danger ofdefacing, tearing, or abrading the papers or articles to which it may beapplied or of injuring the fingers in handling. The liability ofbecoming snarled or tangled together in groups when assembled incommercial packages is entirely obviated.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described in thisspecification, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the inventionwith several modifications of the same which might be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Applicati n fil 0ctober 1'7,19O4=.Serial No. 228,751.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the device, shownactual size. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the same. Fig. 3is'an enlarged plan view of the clip, shown in position as clamping orholding together several sheets of paper. Fig. 4 is an enlarged planview of amodified form. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 6 is aplan view showing a second modification. Fig. 7 is a perspective viewshowing method of attaching clip to papers. Fig. 8 is a perspective Viewof a compounded clip having several coils and a plurality of entrancesto said coils. Fig. 9 is a face view thereof. Figs. 10 and 11 are detailviews illustrating the mandrel upon which my improved clip is formed.

The clip is preferably formed of wire of any desired size havingsufficient temper to provide a spring element and, as shown more clearlyin Fig. 2, is composed, essentially, of wire helically Wound, forming aplurality of superimposed coils a, and 7). I/Vhile I have found for mostpurposes that two coils are sufficient, the clip might be made with anynumber of coils to increase the gripping force or to provide for holdinga greater number of papers. I have shown such a modification in Fig. 8,in which there are four coils, and the purpose of this arrangement ismore fully described hereinafter. Each coil has a projection or ear 0and (Z, forming an angle whose sides converge, extending outward fromthe circle, which projections are disposed adjacent to each other, witha portion of the wire of one projection crossing the wire of the other,forming a V-shaped opening 6 between them. It is found in practice thatthe points thus disposed provide for a ready entrance of the papersbetween the coils.

The simplest form of the device is shown in Fig. 1, in which the mainbody of the clip is the greater portion of a true circle, comprising twocoils or clamping members. The projections c and (Z extend in the planesof their respective coils, and an essential feature of my invention istheir disposition in relation to each other and to the coils. Theprojections may be of any appropriate form-as, for instance, angular, asshown in the drawingsand the sides of the angle may join the circle ofthe coil tangentially, as in Fig. 1,

or they might take the form shown in Fig. 4; but to secure speed andeconomy of manufacture the radius of the circle of the coil must bisectthe angle or space within the projection. This is true, Whether the saidprojections are made angular or in the form of a loop, that saidprojection should be disposed radial with the circle of the clip. Otherclips have numerous bends and crosses, which must be formed by separateoperations; but in my device the clip is completely formed in oneoperation by a simple rotary process, the resiliency of the body of theclip serving to separate the projections 0 and (Z, the distance ofseparation being substantially the same as the distance of separation ofthe free ends of the wire forming the body.

In practice the clipis made by coiling acontinuous piece of wire aboutan arbor 10, which is provided with a suitable anvil 11, which serves toform the ears 0 (Z. Before leaving the arbor the wire is periodicallycut to form the individual clips, and as the several portions leave thearbor the recoil or resiliency of the wire instantly separates the ears0 (Z and the severed ends, the clip thus assuming the form shown anddescribed.

The extent of the opening between the points may be controlled byregulating the length of the saddle or by regulating the tension of thewire while being wound on the arbor. It will be noted, however, that thefree end and projection of each coil or clamping member are arranged onopposite sides of a diameter passing between said projections.

The free ends of the wire terminate adjacent the top of the main body ofthe clip on opposite sides, leaving a single bridge or saddle-piece f. Ihave found it preferable to make this saddle-piece straight, as thechord of a circle, for the following reasons: If formed as an arch inthe continuation of the circle, a longer spring element is furnished andthe clip is not as stiff; but where the saddlepiece is straight there isless resiliency to the clip and a greater gripping force is obtained,the wire only springing or twisting in the saddle between the bends atthe ends thereof. Therefore the shorter the saddle the stiffer and morebinding the grip.

The operation of the device is further described as follows: The mainportion of the clip is held between the thumb and forefinger, the ringform of the clip being particularly adapted for such a grasp, and theedges of the papers to be clamped are then presented to the opening a inthe manner shown in Fig. 7. By simply forcing the clip down upon thepapers a slight twist is given to the clip, and the coils or clampingmembers adjust themselves flat against either side of the package,

The ring form of the clip provides a sort of thumb-and-finger indenture,and this is again convenient in Withdrawing the clip from the papers.

It will be seen that the ends of the wire are not forced against thepaper in placing the clip on the package. Therefore there is no tendencyto tear or injure its surface. This is an important advantage, for theextremities of the wire unless carefully smoothed and rounded up by aspecial operation are liable to be sharp and abrasive. In most otherdevices the ends are exposed and the paper is liable to be punctured orits surface scratched. Further, these ends normally lying in closeproximity to the body of the clip prevent tangling when several of theclips are thrown together or packed in commercial cartons or placed indesk-receptacles. This feature also guards against injury to the fingersor the catching of the clip upon papers not within its grip.

The considerable length of the portions of wire which overlap each othergives an extensive grasping-surface in this form of clip and provides agreater efficiency than has heretofore been attained. Again, the ringshape of the clip and the very slight projection of the ears provideastructure of maximum strength. not liable to be damaged or bent out ofshape, so that my clip is particularly durable and indestructible.

The ease and rapidity with which it can be manufactured is aparticularly strong feature in the construction of this device.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a method of adapting the clip for stillgreater eiiiciency by knurling or scoring the portions g and lb of thewire that oppose each other. While a clip may be made of sufficienttorsional strength to hold the mass of papers together quite firmly, Ihave found in practice that if the engaging portions of the wire areleft smooth the outside sheets are sometimes liable to slip out moreeasily than the interior ones. IVhen the wire is knurled, as shown, theoutside sheets are slightly indented,a nd therefore held more firmly,and it is impossible to displace them in ordinary handling.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the coils are slightly crimped orscalloped, and these scallops may be bent or formed up from the plane ofthe coil to overlap each other, so that there is a slight tendency toindent the paper and form a more secure bite or grip on the same.

In Fig. 8 a form of clip is shown having several coils, four in thisinstance, a, 7), w, and y, and these coils add strength to the springelement of the clip and increase its range of utility. By this latterconstruction several packages of papers may be gripped separatelyeffecting a bind which retains the sheets I between the pairs of coils,thereby retaining l the individuality of the groups and at the againstdisplacement.

same time binding them all together in a convenient form, or the groupsmay be arranged with the edges out of alinement, so that the written'orprinted surfaces are exposed for ready reference to any one group. Thisarrangement would be useful for single sheets as well.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clamping members each of said members having aprojection, each projection and the end of the wire nearest to saidprojection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides,respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between thefree ends of the wire.

2. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of Wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having aprojection, each projection and the free end of the wire nearest to saidpro ect-ion as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides,respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distance between thefree ends of the wire, said clamping members being connected by achordal bridge forming a stifi'ening saddle-piece.

3. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clamping members, each of said members havingconverging tangentially-arranged portions forming a projection, eachprojection and the free end of the wire nearest to said projection asmeasured along the Wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of adiametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of thewire.

4. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clamping members, each of said members havingconverging tangentially-arranged portions forming a projection, eachprojection and the free end of the wire nearest to said projection asmeasured along the wire, lying on opposite sides, respectively, of adiametrical plane bisecting the distance between the free ends of thewire, said clamping members being connected by a chordal bridge forminga stiffening saddle-piece.

5. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clam ping members, each of said members having aprojection, each projection and the free end of the wire nearest to saidprojection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides,respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distances between thefree ends of the wire, said clamping members being each provided withirregular or indenting portions.

6. A paper-clip formed of a single piece of wire coiled upon itself toform a plurality of clamping members, each of said members having aprojection, each projection and the free end of the wire nearest to saidprojection as measured along the wire, lying on opposite sides,respectively, of a diametrical plane bisecting the distances between thefree ends of the wire, said projections being provided withoppositely-arranged knurled or indenting surfaces.

In testimony whercofI have hereunto set my hand this 15th day ofOctober, A. D. 1904C.

JOSHUA B. HALE.

In presence of HOWARD E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN.

